


The Girl Who Forgives

by New_Cliche



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Headcanon, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode: s06e10 The Girl Who Waited, Pre-Episode: s06e11 The God Complex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27106654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/New_Cliche/pseuds/New_Cliche
Summary: After the events on Apalapucia, in which the older Amy who waited thirty years for the Doctor to come back ceased to exist, Rory has to tell Amy what happened to her other self. Afterwards, they both struggle with an important question:Can they truly forgive the Doctor for what he did?
Relationships: Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Eleventh Doctor & Amy Pond & Rory Williams
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	The Girl Who Forgives

**Author's Note:**

> Let me tell you this; The Girl Who Waited was one of the saddest Doctor Who episodes ever, especially with how it ended. It’s even up there with Father’s Day. :’(
> 
> And so, here’s what I think happened after Amy woke up. Be warned. Tissues might be required.

“Where is she?”

Those were the words he’d dreaded hearing, even though they were inevitable. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he had to force himself to look her in the eye.

And even then, what was he supposed to say?

Could he really tell her that the Doctor had lied to and tricked them? That he had forcibly prevented the other Amy from entering the TARDIS because of a paradox he _knew_ about without telling them? That this would lead to her death that would cause her to _cease to exist?_

No, he couldn’t possibly tell her that.

Feeling utterly hopeless, he looked towards the Doctor, hoping for some kind of guidance from him.

But he was pretending to be busy, obviously not wanting to face the consequences of his actions, like some kind of coward.

Rory had never anticipated that one day, he would use that word to describe the Doctor.

With the Doctor unwilling to help him, Rory took a deep breath and prepared himself to break the bad news to her.

“Rory?” Amy asked, clearly uneasy.

He sighed, looking at his wife. “She, uh...”

She stared at him before her eyes went wide with shock, suddenly comprehending what he was trying to tell her even though he couldn’t get the words out.

“No... No!”

His eyes wet with tears, he hesitantly nodded to confirm her worst fears. “She didn’t make it.”

“Why?!” She demanded; her voice breaking under the weight of her grief. “She was right behind us! H-How could she have-?”

He didn’t want to tell her, but he knew he had to as the Doctor obviously wasn’t going to help him.

“The Doctor lied to us.”

She was silent before she slowly asked, “What...?”

Steeling his nerves, he gathered his wits and tried to tell her what had happened without breaking down.

“He lied to us, Amy. He wasn’t... He wasn’t actually able to bring both of you onboard the TARDIS. So, after you were knocked out and I’d brought you safely inside, he...” He trailed off, a lump in his throat.

“What?” She gently urged.

He sighed and wiped away his tears. “He shut the door in her face, Amy...”

A silent tension then fell over them, feeling suffocating under the weight it was putting on both husband and wife. Eventually, he spoke again.

“He then forced me to... to choose between you and her. And...”

Tears finally began to stream down his cheeks as he bit his lip, trying to calm down.

“Rory...?”

“I... I didn’t w-want to...” He told her in a ragged whisper. “I just... I just w-wanted you to be safe...”

She then gently reached out and began caressing his cheek, wiping my tears away. “Shh...” She soothed as choked sobs began to wrack his body. “It wasn’t your fault...”

“B-But...” He stammered, still trying to force words out of his mouth even though he could barely speak because of how hard he was crying. “But I-I was the o-one who l-locked the door...”

“It _wasn’t_ your _fault.”_ She firmly told me, tears also beginning to stream down her cheeks as well. “You did everything you could. And you shouldn’t be judged for that, even if you weren’t successful in... in keeping us b-both safe…”

Finally, he succumbed to his grief and allowed himself to cry. And so, they sat there, leaning against each other as they cried. Her hands attempted to sooth him by caressing his back as he hugged her, holding onto her with every ounce of his strength. Almost as though he were afraid he’d lose her again if he let go.

And in some ways, he feared that that would turn out to be true some day.

They sat there like that for a while, allowing themselves to grieve. It was still and quiet in the console room for the most part. They could occasionally hear rustling and movement from the Doctor as he pretended to be busy. Rory had travelled with him for long enough now that he could tell how upset the Doctor was despite the fact that he wasn’t actually looking at him.

It was quite rare that the Doctor was this upset and affected by something. It was true that every mistake, death, and accident that happened on their adventures weighed heavily on his conscience. However, for the most part, the Doctor could just pretend to brush it off and keep on “running” as he called it as he travelled. And Rory knew why he did it. The Doctor had explained it to him on a past occasion.

_“I’m afraid that if I stop running one day, all of my past actions will come crashing down on me. It’s one of my deepest fears, in fact. I know that I’ve made mistakes and lost people in the past, such as my granddaughter, Rose, Donna… They all weigh heavily on my conscience. And I know that one day, you and Amy will also leave me in some way or another.”_

He'd then sighed, clearly overwhelmed by the bad memories beginning to cloud his mind. _“That’s why I sometimes seem dismissive or even heartless to you. I can’t always let what happens on my travels get to me for I know that if I do, I wouldn’t be able to go on…”_

Rory did somewhat understand what the Doctor meant. During those two-thousand years he guarded Amy in the Pandorica, he was always afraid of what might happen to her. He wasn’t necessarily frightened for himself; it was _her_ he was worried about.

But even then, Rory know that even those two millennia didn’t hold a candle to what the Doctor had seen, done, and experienced in his long life: both the good and the bad.

However, on occasion, the Doctor has been through something that even he can’t run away from.

And this moment was one such occasion.

Rory was livid with the Doctor for what he did, but a small part of him knew that he hadn’t _wanted_ to do it. Just like how he hadn’t wanted to say goodbye to his other friends.

But even so, Rory was furious for what had just happened and he knew that that anger was well-justified.

And so, when he heard the Doctor begin to hesitantly approach them, he continued to cling to Amy, refusing to look in his direction.

Amy didn’t say anything either, not until the Doctor’s footsteps stopped right beside them and he softly cleared his throat before quietly asking, “…Amy?”

Amy just sighed and continued to gently caress Rory’s back, not bothering to respond to the Doctor.

After a few moments of silence, the Doctor sighed and spoke again, saying, “Amy, I didn’t _want_ to do it, please understand that. It was the only way to bring you onboard. If I’d been honest with you from the start, all three of you would’ve likely died because you wouldn’t have wanted to abandon her!”

He sighed, his voice carrying a heavy sadness to it. “You’re so delightfully human like that… I trust and admire this humanity in most of your kind, but it does have it’s drawbacks...”

“Drawbacks?” Amy suddenly spoke up, her voice sharp. “You call wanting to protect someone else a _drawback?!_ You, of all people, should know that it isn’t!”

“I do!” The Doctor desperately pleaded. “What I mean is that sometimes doing what’s necessary, as awful as that sometimes is, doesn’t always come easily to you. And like I said, I _do_ admire that in you! It’s one of the things about your species and planet that endears to me.”

He sighed before continuing with, “It’s just that sometimes, being a Time Lord and not a human, means that I can struggle with your most human traits…”

A tense few moments of silence followed before Amy sniffed and told him, “Just leave us alone, Doctor…”

“Amy-”

 _“Please!”_ She exclaimed as her voice audibly cracked.

He paused before sighing. “Okay…”

After that, Rory could hear the Doctor’s footsteps as he left the console room.

Rory’s tears had somewhat subsided by then, though the crushing weight of grief hadn’t let go of him yet.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, silently embracing before Amy eventually asked him, “Do you feel better now?”

He sighed. “Not really, but I’ve stopped crying if that’s what you mean.”

She softly laughed. “You’re cracking jokes. That’s a good sign.”

It was his turn to laugh. It was a somewhat forced sound, but it was better than nothing.

She continued to gently caress his back and hair, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead as he laid his head on her chest, feeling her heartbeat.

This almost made him start crying again, as it confirmed that she was still alive and still there in his arms.

Afterwards, she attempted to lighten the mood by making small talk with him.

“Hey, do you remember the day you proposed to me?” She asked.

He couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “Yes, I do. I had bought a nice diamond ring and took you on a dinner date to a really expensive restaurant.”

Amy nodded. “Yep. And I was honestly surprised you went to such lengths just to propose to me. I was touched, but then told you it might’ve been a bit excessive, _especially_ when the dinner bill came by.”

He managed to laugh as he remembered the events as if they had happened yesterday. “Yes. The meal was almost £54!”

They both chuckled as they remembered Rory’s ecstatic reaction to Amy saying yes to his wide-eyed expression of shock and horror at just how expensive this proposal was ultimately going to be.

As they continued to talk, whether it was about shared memories, good times, their favorite jokes, and their hopes for the future, their moods gradually lightened, despite their mutual grief still being present.

It was this topic of conversation that eventually brought Rory to his promise to the other Amy.

It was tough, trying to tell Amy what her older self had told him, but he did manage to tell her.

“Amy, there is something that your… your older self wanted me to tell you.”

She went quiet and nodded, letting him know she was listening.

“She told me to… to tell you that she…”

It was growing increasingly difficult to force the words from his mouth as he felt more tears burn his throat.

Amy noticed this and proceeded to hold his hand, gently encouraging him as well as comforting him.

He took a deep breath and told her, “She’s giving you her days. That’s… that’s what she told me. Her lost days… a-are yours now.”

She silently nodded, taking a moment to compose herself before she told him, “I’ll use them well.”

He weakly smiled. “I know you will.”

They both embraced each other as he whispered, “And this time, I’ll be there with you.”

Amy squeezed him a little tighter in response.

When they eventually parted, Amy had a despondent look in her eyes. “Rory, what are we going to do about the Doctor?”

Rory, understanding what she meant, sighed. “I’m not sure. He’s our friend and family, but…”

As he trailed off, Amy nodded. “I know. What he did was deplorable, but… it’s not like he did it for no good reason, you know?”

He nodded. “And we’ve known him for so long that, despite his many secrets and how alien he can behave, it wouldn’t feel… right to disown him over this. I mean…”

They both fell silent, obviously contemplating the same question:

Could they forgive the Doctor?

It wouldn’t be easy and they both knew this. Despite how much they loved and trusted the Doctor, this particular situation couldn’t just be brushed aside.

Eventually, Amy spoke up and said, “I think we should sleep on this. I feel exhausted right now.”

Rory nodded. “I agree. I’m quite tired.”

And so, they both got up and walked to their room.

Thankfully, the Doctor continued to give them their space and they made it without any interruptions.

As they laid down, too tired to change into PJ’s, they cuddled together and were able to fall asleep within minutes.

* * *

The next morning, after a somewhat restful night, Rory up and got ready for the day, including his and Amy’s inevitable confrontation with the Doctor.

By the time he’d changed into clean clothes and made himself more presentable, Amy had woken up and was getting ready to do the same as him.

As she changed her clothes, she asked him, “Did you have a good sleep?”

He sighed. “I suppose…”

She went quiet before asking him, “You dreamt of her, didn’t you?”

He silently nodded.

He heard her approach before she embraced him from behind. “Don’t worry. I did too.”

He felt a lump begin to form in his throat as she gently kissed his neck before resting her head on his shoulder.

“I won’t ask you what it was about, so don’t worry.”

He couldn’t help but sigh in relief as she said this. He didn’t want to begin crying all over again.

“So…” His voice was a little shaky, so he cleared his throat and tried again. “So, when should we go see the Doctor?”

She hesitated before saying, “I’d say the sooner the better. I don’t want this suffocating tension hanging over us for much longer.”

He nodded, knowing she was right even though he wasn’t looking forward to this confrontation and the ensuing talk that would follow.

“I’m not looking forward to it either, Rory.” She whispered, as if she were reading his mind. “But we have to do it.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle weakly. “Can you read my mind or something?”

She chuckled in return before saying, “No, but I can still read you like a book.”

They both softly laughed before he turned around and kissed her.

“I love you.”

She gently smiled at him. “I love you, too.”

Afterwards, they finished getting ready, lightly bantering with each other to try to keep their spirits up before they left their room to search for the Doctor.

It didn’t take long as they found him in the console room.

The three of them were silent before Amy hesitantly called out, “Doctor?”

The Doctor tensed up, obviously afraid to face the consequences of what he’d done to them, but he turned around to acknowledge them right after.

“…Hello, Amy. Rory.”

Rory struggled to speak but he was able to say, “Hello…”

There was a tense silence before the Doctor sighed and said, “You need to talk to me about yesterday, don’t you?”

They both nodded, prompting the Doctor to nod as well and say, “Alright.”

Afterwards, they sat down on the benches surrounding the console.

There was another tense silence, as none of them were sure how to proceed.

Eventually, Rory spoke up. “So… um…”

“I know what you’re going to say.” The Doctor interrupted. “You’re going to ask to go home, aren’t you?”

Rory stared at him, a little surprised. “No, I wasn’t actually.”

The Doctor stared at him before sighing, “I was almost certain you’d want to stop travelling with me, after what I did…”

Rory sighed. “I was and still am angry at you for what you did, I won’t lie. And I know that Amy is, too.”

“I am.” Amy agreed with him before Rory continued with, “But all the same, it just wouldn’t do for us to suddenly cut ties with you. We’ve travelled with you for so long that…”

He paused, unsure of how to continue.

“That it almost wouldn’t be right for us to kick you out of our lives.” Amy continued for him. “As such, even if we do go back to Earth, we won’t truly abandon you.”

They both stared at her as she sighed and said, “We’ll be glad to have you visit us, we’ll keep in contact somehow, we may go with you for the occasional trip, and we…”

She suddenly paused, obviously overwhelmed, before taking a deep breath and shakily saying, “And we won’t hold it against you if you get another travelling companion.”

The Doctor sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I don’t know if or how I could truly replace you two.”

They waited as he gathered his thoughts before saying, “As I’ve said before, I love you both very much. Too much to let anything happen to either of you…”

There was another pause before he said, “And… And that’s why I did it. I hated having to lie to you and for betraying your trust like that. But t-there wasn’t another way of keeping you s-safe…”

They both watched as the Doctor, who’s faced entire armies without batting an eye, who’s witnessed death and destruction, and who’s loved and lost so many before them, began crying.

“I’m so s-sorry…” He wept.

At that instant, they both knew. Watching this man; this brilliant, impossible man, just break down into tears like this, that they could forgive him. They were still angry, but they knew that the Doctor was also angry with himself. He’s made so many impossible and awful decisions for the benefit of everyone, even if they weren’t perfect, and that without them there, there’s no telling what would happen.

Amy and Rory both looked at each other before she leaned forward and embraced the Doctor, gently rubbing his back as tears began to stream down her face.

Rory then did the same, embracing the both of them as he, too, began crying.

They stayed like that for some time, comforting each other as they grieved. And soon enough, he heard Amy whisper, _“We forgive you.”_

This in turn made the three of them cry even harder. Rory wasn’t sure, but he thought he’d heard the Doctor say, _“Thank you…”_

None of them were entirely certain how much time had passed, but eventually, the tears had dried up and they’d all calmed down.

Sitting back up, they took a few deep breaths before Rory asked, “So, what now?”

“We keep moving forward.” Amy answered, nodding decisively before looking at the Doctor, who also nodded.

“That’s the best thing we can do. But in the meantime,” He said as he stood up, walking over to the console. “Which option sounds the most appealing to you? Do I take you home for a brief respite from our travels, or do you want to go somewhere without any monsters, bad guys or evil plots?”

Amy and Rory both looked at each other before telling him, “Let’s go home for a little while.”

The Doctor nodded. “Alright.”

With that, he dialed in the coordinates and threw the lever.

As they watched the column go up and down as that wonderfully familiar wheezing, groaning sound filled the air, Amy grabbed Rory’s hand and rested her head on his shoulder.

Rory squeezed her hand back and whispered to himself as the TARDIS spun through the vortex:

_“We keep moving forward.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed and that it wasn’t too depressing. I tried to balance out the hurt/comfort with the angst and I hope I did a good job. Also, I apologize if I got the amount of British currency wrong. I have no idea if £54 is actually expensive to any Brits reading this, so I had to guess. ^^;
> 
> Anyways, feel free to leave a review if you want! :)


End file.
